Casualties unknown

1983-06-09: Air Tractor AT-301 (N23069) — Conrad, MT

Conrad, MT, US

On June 9, 1983, an Air Tractor AT-301 (registration N23069) was involved in an aviation accident near Conrad, MT. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.

Sourcesthe U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archivePrimary reportUpdated 1781061362Data APIEditorial standards

An aircraft landed hard, collapsing its right main landing gear during a forced landing caused by fuel exhaustion. Refueling was not completed before takeoff, and the engine stopped about an hour later during a pull-up maneuver.

Background

The accident sequence began when the pilot landed the aircraft to reload herbicide. During this ground stop, the pilot was occupied with handling the herbicide on-loading while a ground crewman was responsible for fueling the aircraft. At the time, the supply of 80/87 octane fuel was exhausted, but 100 octane fuel was available. The crewman informed the pilot about the fuel supply situation, but the pilot made no reply due to being busy with herbicide loading. As a result, the refueling was not completed.

Engine Failure and Forced Landing

Approximately one hour after takeoff, while performing a pull-up maneuver, the engine ceased operation. The pilot was forced to execute a forced landing. During this landing, the aircraft touched down hard, causing the right main landing gear to collapse.

Post-Accident Findings

After the accident, the pilot's father drained approximately one cup of fuel from each fuel tank, indicating minimal remaining fuel. The pilot later stated that he should have topped off with fuel.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20001214X43299. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.